Texas Rep. Carrie Isaac Dismisses Uvalde Victims: “Are You Deaf”

Texas legislators are currently reviewing a series of firearm-related bills that, if passed, would mark a historic and controversial shift in U.S. gun policy. Among them are House Bill 2470 and House Bill 4201, which together would make Texas the first state in the nation to legally allow teenagers to carry handguns on school campuses.

Last week, the political firestorm intensified following a charged exchange between Rep. Carrie Isaac and a member of Moms Demand Action. During public testimony at the Capitol, a volunteer with the organization invoked the names of children who were killed in the 2022 mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde—one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history.

Rep. Isaac, visibly irritated, snapped and asked the Moms Demand Action member if she was “deaf,” appearing baffled as to why the names of the Uvalde victims were being mentioned. The now-viral video, posted by @livesrobbed on Instagram, captures her dismissive demeanor in the face of emotional testimony honoring the 19 students and two teachers killed in one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history.

The video was accompanied by the caption: “Hey @carrieisaacfortexas, we wouldn’t have to keep repeating the names of the 19 students and two teachers who were killed in Uvalde if your colleagues had passed a law to Raise the Age when it was proposed in 2021. #21FOR21”

The incident has drawn widespread condemnation from gun safety advocates and the public, with many seeing Isaac’s remark as emblematic of the broader disregard for the human cost of inaction. For Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, the exchange reaffirmed their belief that lawmakers are ignoring the voices of grieving families and survivors.

“Instead of taking action against gun violence by strengthening our weak laws, our lawmakers are convinced that more guns in our communities is the answer,” said Molly Bursey, a volunteer with the Texas chapter of Moms Demand Action. “Putting more guns into dangerous hands, and in more sensitive places, will only lead to more violence, more fear, and more loss,” as reported by Moms Demand Action.

HB 2470 proposes lowering the minimum age to possess and obtain a license to carry a handgun from 21 to 18, while HB 4201 would permit license holders to carry concealed firearms in locations currently designated as sensitive, such as schools, hospitals, airports, bars, and government buildings.

These proposals have drawn sharp criticism from gun safety advocates and student-led organizations who argue that such measures would worsen the state’s already significant gun violence problem. According to Everytown for Gun Safety, more than 4,300 people die by guns in Texas each year, and gun-related injuries total nearly 8,000 annually.

Hayden Presley, a student leader with the University of Texas at Austin’s Students Demand Action chapter, also spoke out. “It’s absolutely crazy that our lawmakers would think that putting more guns into the hands of young people—people younger than me—would make us safer. We know it won’t, and we demand better ‘solutions’ than that.”

In 2024 alone, Texas saw at least 17 incidents of gunfire on school grounds, highlighting concerns about the potential consequences of introducing more firearms into educational settings.

In addition to HB 2470 and HB 4201, lawmakers are considering several other bills that critics say would further loosen gun restrictions across the state. These include:

• HB 259, which would remove the prohibition on short-barreled rifles and shotguns;
  
• HB 1128, which would allow election judges and early voting clerks to carry concealed handguns at polling places;
  
• HB 1794, which would allow any licensed individual to carry concealed firearms at polling locations;
  
• HB 2771, which would narrow the list of felonies that disqualify individuals from firearm ownership;
  
• HB 3053, which would prohibit localities from organizing gun buyback programs;
  
• HB 3428, which would limit which restaurants and bars can prohibit firearms;
  
• HB 3924, which would allow school marshals to openly carry handguns on campuses.
  

Texas currently lacks foundational gun safety policies and ranks 32nd nationally in terms of gun law strength. Gun violence in the state is estimated to cost $51.3 billion annually, with over $1 billion of that burden falling on taxpayers.

As debate over these bills continues, the interaction between Rep. Isaac and a grieving advocate has come to symbolize a deeper divide—not just over policy, but over whether lawmakers are truly listening.

For the latest updates and in-depth information on gun violence in Texas, follow Gun Violence Watch on Instagram and Facebook, and visit https://gunviolencewatch.reformaustin.org/.